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Japan's PM 'to call August vote' Japan's PM Aso calls August vote
(about 1 hour later)
Japan's embattled Prime Minister, Taro Aso, is to call an election for 30 August, officials from his party say. Japan's embattled prime minister, Taro Aso, is to call an election for 30 August, officials from his party say.
His office said he had agreed the date with his Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and coalition partner, if bills already before parliament were passed first. The decision came after a crushing defeat in local elections in the capital, Tokyo, seen as a key indicator for a national vote.
The Kyodo news agency reported that Mr Aso had told party lawmakers parliament would be dissolved on 21 July. Mr Aso's ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) has ruled Japan almost continuously for the past 50 years.
The move comes after Mr Aso's ruling coalition suffered a crucial defeat in local elections in the capital, Tokyo. His popularity has plummeted as Japan's economy, the world's second-largest, has suffered in the global downturn.
''I want to seek the people's mandate by dissolving the House of Representatives early in the week beginning 21 July. Election Day is 30 August,'' Prime Minister Aso was quoted as saying in a meeting with cabinet ministers and officials from the LDP and its coalition partner, New Komeito.
Mr Aso also apologised in the meeting for the LDP's poor showing in the Tokyo municipal assembly election, Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Jun Matsumoto said.
The opposition Democratic Party (DPJ) won 54 seats to 38 for the LDP, ending four decades of LDP dominance in the assembly.The opposition Democratic Party (DPJ) won 54 seats to 38 for the LDP, ending four decades of LDP dominance in the assembly.
Mr Aso has approval ratings of about 20% and has been facing open rebellion from within his own party. Japan is gripped by a steep recession and the prime minister's gaffes and apparent indecision have left him with an approval rating of about 20%, says the BBC's Roland Buerk in Tokyo.
He had widely been expected to dissolve parliament after the Tokyo election defeat on Sunday. Mr Aso has also been facing open rebellion within his own party.
He could also now come under increasing pressure to quit as LDP leader before the national poll, which must be held before October. Pressure to quit
The BBC's Roland Buerk in Tokyo says it appears that Mr Aso has jumped before being pushed. Meanwhile, the DPJ introduced a no-confidence motion against the prime minister and his cabinet in the lower house and a censure motion against the prime minister in the upper house.
Election call The only course of action for the prime minister is to dissolve the House of Representatives and ask the people for their verdict DPJ leader Yukio Hatoyama
Earlier, a senior LDP official, Nobuteru Ishihara, said the party was afraid the results would have a significant impact on the general election. The no-confidence motion is unlikely to be passed as the LDP-New Komeito coalition holds a majority in the more powerful lower house.
The leader of the DPJ, Yukio Hatoyama, had called on Mr Aso to "ask for the people's voice by dissolving the lower house and calling a general election". The censure motion could be adopted in the upper house, which the DPJ dominates.
"In the Tokyo assembly election, people strongly showed their dissatisfaction as a result of how national politics and state politics are being run," he said. ''The people are suffering under politics ruled by the survival of the fittest,'' DPJ leader Yukio Hatoyama said.
"The voters are saying no both to metropolitan politics and to national politics." ''The only course of action for the prime minister is to dissolve the House of Representatives and ask the people for their verdict.''
But many in Mr Aso's party fear that calling a snap election would be political suicide, says our correspondent. Mr Aso has already been widely expected to dissolve parliament after the Tokyo election defeat on Sunday.
They would prefer he resigned and a new leader be chosen for polls closer to the October deadline. He could also now come under increasing pressure to quit as LDP leader before the national poll.
Mr Aso is the fourth prime minister since the last election to the more powerful lower house in 2005. Many in Mr Aso's party fear that calling a snap election would be political suicide, says the BBC's Roland Buerk in Tokyo.
His LDP party has governed Japan for the past half-century, except for a break of less than a year in the 1990s. They would prefer he resigned and a new leader be chosen before the country went to the polls.
But the DPJ has promised to break the grip of the bureaucracy on policy making and increase social welfare measures. Mr Aso's LDP party has governed Japan for the past half-century, except for a break of less than a year in the 1990s.
The DPJ has promised that, if it comes to power, it will try to break bureaucracy's grip on policy-making, and increase social welfare measures.
Its support, however, has been eroded by fundraising scandals - Mr Hatoyama recently had to apologise after it emerged that the names of dead people were included on lists of party donors.Its support, however, has been eroded by fundraising scandals - Mr Hatoyama recently had to apologise after it emerged that the names of dead people were included on lists of party donors.
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